The Selfie Kid explains why he was glued to his phone during Justin Timberlake's halftime performance
On Super Bowl Sunday, major moments are bound to happen — and yesterday was no exception. The New England Patriots were defeated by the underdog team, the Philadelphia Eagles; P!nk caused a stir just before her national anthem performance; Justin Timberlake gave a dance-filled halftime show.
But in all the excitement of the day, one random kid became an internet sensation by chance. Before yesterday, Ryan McKenna was your average 13-year-old middle-schooler — today he’s a superstar, thanks to Justin Timberlake. The singer made his way into the crowd at the end of his halftime performance and chose Ryan for the selfie that broke the internet.
AND HERE IT IS.#SelfieKid with @jtimberlake!#HalftimeSelfie#SuperBowlSelfie#SuperBowl #PepsiHalftime pic.twitter.com/Edww4CSSm7
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 5, 2018
Viewers immediately began dissecting the moment. One Twitter user noted, Ryan was more than prepared for the selfie that would change his life.
This kid was ready he has not ONE.. but TWO POPSOCKETS! HE WAS READY! #HalftimeShow #JustinTimberlake #Selfiekid pic.twitter.com/6pqE7OhQSB
— Lizbeth Garcia (@lizbethmunozz) February 5, 2018
Others seemed to note how awkward the ordeal was. Ryan did seem a bit confused by the commotion.
When your friend go dancing with strangers at the club and u just don’t know what to do #selfiekid pic.twitter.com/MzH4237Z1y
— Triyoncé (@tribranchvo) February 5, 2018
#selfiekid should be the epitome of what you don’t do on live tv pic.twitter.com/5iG16qmjNr
— Ian Ginther (@GintherIan) February 5, 2018
But a mystery emerged from the footage: Why, with millions of eyes on him, was Ryan glued to his phone? Twitter had some theories.
#SelfieKid I LOVE THE INTERNET pic.twitter.com/B99aUX5Tt2
— dee. (@harrymoonchild) February 5, 2018
IMAGINE IF #SelfieKid #JustinTimberlake #PepsiHalftime pic.twitter.com/a5pmDZVVuk
— zoe (@pawprintedzoe) February 5, 2018
#SelfieKid updating his bio pic.twitter.com/TKP1hwJeOs
— Ethan Klohr (@EthanK1996) February 5, 2018
Turns out, the Selfie Kid’s phone was malfunctioning. Ryan told Good Morning America that right after he took the now-famous selfie with Justin Timberlake, his phone shut off! “So I had a video going, and my phone shut off,” he told the morning show. “That’s why I was on my phone, and I love him. He’s like my favorite singer and I had to get the selfie with him.”
What terrible timing! But hey, at least Ryan got a photo before his phone died.
While the Selfie Kid made headlines, another man from the photo grabbed the internet’s attention. Viewers noticed that someone behind Ryan and JT was holding two phones. Cue the reactions when fans realized it was former Philadelphia Eagles player Freddie Mitchell.
Everyone is talking about #selfiekid but can we take a second to realize this man in the back has two phones? pic.twitter.com/Dq67oCfcG5
— Skylar DeCamp (@skylar_decamp) February 5, 2018
Freddie Mitchell standing behind Justin with 2 phones like a 14 yr old girl is better than this game.
— Post Madone (@Turk_Jr) February 5, 2018
Former Eagles WR Freddie Mitchell is the Paul Pierce of 2018. pic.twitter.com/kt2lqYsPhD
— Devin Walker (@Devin_Walker5) February 5, 2018
One moment, two memes. It certainly doesn’t get much better than that!
Watch: Justin Timberlake’s new music video has a major surprise cameo
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
